


Can't Help Who You're Attracted To

by alafaye



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 19:04:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/943544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't comfortable with everyone talking about it, but at least he could enjoy them now that it was okay to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Help Who You're Attracted To

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [love bingo](http://alafaye.livejournal.com/337489.html) and the prompt 'attraction'.

Attraction, Steve decided, was a funny thing. Especially when one woke up in a new century whose mores were completely different. Mostly. Somewhat. Okay, the big thing he noted was different was in how people handled their sexual attraction. There seemed to be a huge assumption that men went out with someone to have sex and women weren't supposed to have any sexual attraction (that last statement, though, depended on the day and whom he was talking to). Everyone talked about who was attracted to whom, who they were attracted to, whom you weren't supposed to be attracted to, whether it was okay to be attracted to a certain gender. It kept going on.

In his day, no one had sex until they were married. (Mostly. There were times during the war when even he had had someone, but that was war. It wasn't everyday life.) And no one talked about sex or who they wanted to have sex with. If they did, it was in furtive whispers in the dark or with their doctor. It just wasn't done otherwise.

Now, Steve wouldn't exactly say he was feeling pressured. He was just feeling fed up with everyone focusing on who he would date; more, he was fed up with stumbling across a...website (he thought that was the right word; he was still getting the hang of the internet) where people were discussing who he had sex with, who wanted to have sex with him (either as his current public identity or his original self). And it was plain weird really because to him, people still shouldn't talk about those things. It wasn't right.

Steve was talking about this with Natasha--who, like him, didn't understand it because she had been so removed from people due to her upbringing--when Tony walked into the room in his usual blundering fashion.

"You need to go out with someone, have a relationship," Tony told them. He poured himself a cup--jug, really--of coffee and leaned against the counter. "They'll still talk about you, but they'll be discussing you and other people less."

Natasha frowned fiercely and Steve shook his head. "I don't think anything will stop them from talking about it."

Tony shrugged. "Just saying. If you step out with your preferred gender, they'll focus on picking that apart and focusing on the relationship instead."

Steve half smiled. "And if my preferred gender is one that is not approved?"

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying you're gay, Mr. Rogers?"

Natasha sighed heavily as she always did when someone was being oblivious. "Of course he isn't. He's bisexual."

Steve tipped his head at her and raised an eyebrow at Tony. "Well?"

"No skin off my back," Tony replied. His voice, despite his calm words, were just a little too smooth and low. Steve had heard him use that tone before, just after he was introduced to someone he liked. A lot. "Though when that hits the world, expect someone to be howling to have your hero status revoked and gifted to someone else. There will be people who think that Captain America should be a straight Captain America."

"It also would not stop them from talking about who I'm attracted to," Steve pointed out. "It'll allow them room to pair me up with everyone they want to."

"Not that it would matter much," Natasha added. "He would have to make a public statement and I don't think that's quite your style."

Steve nodded. "Because it doesn't matter to me. As much as I don't understand why it's a huge topic and think that sex shouldn't be as talked about, I don't care much. So long as I don't have to participate in the discussion."

"Old," Tony scoffed and pushed away from the counter. "I'm off to the gym. I can put on some armour if you want to spar, Steve."

Steve considered for a moment before deciding the good spar would be perfect for getting his mind off this topic. "Sure. But put on the heavy stuff--I don't feel like I'll be holding back much right now."

~~~

Steve was sketching on the rooftop--just a quick charcoal of the skyline--when Pepper found him. She sat down next to him and waited until he looked up to talk.

"So, Tony tells me that you're bisexual," she led.

He nodded. "I'm sure he told everyone. It's not a big deal."

She half smiled. "I'm sure he has, but that is not why I came looking for you."

He added one last line to his skyline and closed the sketchbook, sensing this might be a serious discussion. "Okay."

"Tony has had a huge thing for you since he was a teen and I, for one, can completely understand now that I've met you," she told him.

Given some of the internet discussions, he thought he knew where this was going. "Why isn't Tony asking me this?" he asked instead of prompting her to go on.

She raised her eyebrows. "Not skirting around this, are you?" 

He shrugged. "Unfortunately, there are several people out there who think this is inevitable. I'm not sure why, but they do."

"Gossips," she growled. "Do they have nothing better to do?"

"So..."

She crossed her legs and leaned back. "Tony's shy when he really likes someone. It took us years to get together, but I don't want to wait years for this chance."

He tapped his finger on his leg. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course," she assured him. "Just, don't take too long? Tony's had a camera on us this entire conversation and might be listening in."

He looked behind them and yes, there was a camera looking their way. Knowing Tony, he was listening in. Steve turned back to Pepper. "I'll have my answer tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." She nodded.

~~~

"Are you sure about this?" Tony asked--for the fifth time in as many minutes. His hands kept dancing around and he wouldn't sit still.

Steve sighed and pulled Tony closer to him and Pepper both where they sat on the couch. "Definitely. Believe me, this is nothing new for me, being attracted to two people at once."

Tony slow blinked. "Please tell me one of those people wasn't my father."

"Leave it alone," Pepper warned. She turned and kissed Steve's chin. "You said tomorrow."

"Tonight, tomorrow," Steve shrugged. "I decided that I wasn't going to wait this time and if I could have both, why not take the chance?"

Tony licked his lips nervously. "I just want everyone to be clear--is this just for tonight or..." He trailed off and Steve was thrown, a bit, by the idea that Tony Stark--known womanizer--could be nervous about sex and emotions. Well, the last maybe he could understand.

"How about we go where this will take us?" Steve offered. "No pressure and no feelings of wanting more without getting more."

"I like it," Pepper agreed.

Tony took a deep breath and finally smiled. "I like it, too."

"So sex now?" Steve asked.

Pepper nodded and Tony grinned. "Sex now."

~~~

Attraction was a funny thing, no matter the century you were in. Steve thought about it, what it meant, the difference between when he was growing up and where he now found himself. He thought about the time before the war and during the war; how he was practically ignored pre-serum and then how women would not stop throwing themselves at him post-serum. Knowing that he was attracted to some men and had even now and again thought about what it would be like to have a relationship with a man. But he also remembered that his future would be with a woman if he had a relationship.

Times had changed, but attraction hadn't. He still wished it wasn't as talked about, but it was what it was. Besides, this new century meant that he had been approached by two people he was attracted to and he was free to accept without sneaking around in alley ways. (The few times Steve had been with men, it was always at the back of an alley well outside of the street lamps and with no conversation.)

Looking across the bed at both of them, Tony and Pepper, as the sun rose made him grateful that times had changed. He wouldn't be able to take his time and enjoy this otherwise.


End file.
